And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Esau's desperate plea for "that red, red stew" highlights not just his hunger, but his immediate, almost instinctual focus on the physical. The repetition of "red" emphasizes his exhaustion and his inability to even properly name the food, reducing it to its most basic visual characteristic. This tells us something profound: his exhaustion wasn't just physical; it had dulled his senses and his ability to think beyond his immediate, primal needs.
And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Esau returns from hunting, utterly exhausted and starving, and sees Jacob preparing a hearty lentil stew. Desperate for immediate sustenance, Esau impulsively offers to trade his valuable birthright for a bowl of the red pottage, a bargain Jacob readily accepts. This exchange highlights Esau's shortsightedness and prioritization of immediate physical needs over spiritual and future blessings, directly leading to the naming of Edom, meaning "red," after the stew that cost him so dearly.
Why did Esau fixate on the 'red' stew? It wasn't just hunger; it was a profound statement about his identity and values.
Esau's immediate, almost desperate focus on the color 'red' is significant. The Hebrew word for 'red' is 'adom,' and this is directly linked to the name 'Edom' given to him and his descendants.
More Than a Meal
It's a powerful reminder that the things we fixate on in moments of weakness can reveal deeper truths about who we are and what we value.
Esau wasn't just hungry for food; he was starving for something vital, and that hunger made him blind to eternal treasure.
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Esau's profound physical exhaustion leads him to a place where he drastically miscalculates the value of his birthright. His famous line, 'Behold, I am about to die; what good is the birthright to me?' reveals a spiritual blindness.
The Peril of Immediate Need
Understand the original words
Edom · Hebrew Proper Noun
Meaning 'red,' this name is applied to Esau due to his desire for the red lentil stew. It becomes the name of his descendants, the Edomites, and serves as a lasting reminder of his impulsive nature.
This event directly connects Esau's name 'Edom' (meaning 'red') to the red stew he craved, highlighting his impulsive, carnal nature and contempt for his spiritual inheritance.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham settles in Canaan
Abraham, Sarah, and their household relocate to the land of Canaan, establishing a significant presence there.
c. 1770 BC
Birth of Isaac
Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah as a fulfillment of God's promise, marking him as the heir of the covenant.
c. 1730 BC
Isaac marries Rebekah
Isaac, at age 40, marries Rebekah, who faces a period of barrenness before conceiving.
c. 1730-1710 BC
Rebekah's Barrenness and Prayer
Rebekah endures twenty years of childlessness, during which Isaac prays for her, leading to their eventual pregnancy.
c. 1710 BC
Birth of Jacob and Esau
Rebekah gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob, with a prophecy that the older will serve the younger.
c. 1710 BC— this verse
The Sale of the Birthright
A famished Esau, returning from the field, trades his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red lentil stew.
This passage directly references Esau's exchange of his birthright for food, calling him a 'profane person' and highlighting the spiritual consequences of such a rash decision.
Genesis 27:36This verse shows Esau's bitter realization of how Jacob 'supplanted' him, reflecting on the loss of his birthright and blessing, which began with this moment of desperation.
Proverbs 23:20-21This proverb speaks against gluttony and associating with drunkards, echoing the danger of Esau's uncontrolled appetite leading to a foolish and spiritually damaging decision.
Malachi 1:2-3This prophetic passage shows God's enduring perspective on the relationship between Jacob (Israel) and Esau (Edom), stating 'Esau I have hated,' indicating a divine judgment on Esau's lineage that stems from these foundational choices.
gillGenesis 25:30: "And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom."
And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage,.... Or, "with that same red (l), red"; not knowing what it was, or what it was made of, and therefore only calls it by its colour; and the word being doubled, may denote that it was very red; or he, being in haste and greedy of it through hunger, repeats it in a quick and short way…
calvinGenesis 25:1-34: "Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah."
And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
Et Iocsan genuit Seba, et Dedan. Filii autem Dedan fuerunt Assurim, et Letusim, et Leummin.
And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
Filii vero Midian, Hephah, et Hepher, et Hanoch, et Abidah, et Eldaah: omnes isti, filii Ceturae.…
Esau's desperate plea for "that red, red stew" highlights not just his hunger, but his immediate, almost instinctual focus on the physical. The repetition of "red" emphasizes his exhaustion and his inability to even properly name the food, reducing it to its most basic visual characteristic. This tells us something profound: his exhaustion wasn't just physical; it had dulled his senses and his ability to think beyond his immediate, primal needs.
Esau returns from hunting, utterly exhausted and starving, and sees Jacob preparing a hearty lentil stew. Desperate for immediate sustenance, Esau impulsively offers to trade his valuable birthright for a bowl of the red pottage, a bargain Jacob readily accepts. This exchange highlights Esau's shortsightedness and prioritization of immediate physical needs over spiritual and future blessings, directly leading to the naming of Edom, meaning "red," after the stew that cost him so dearly.
Esau returns from hunting, utterly exhausted and starving, and sees Jacob preparing a hearty lentil stew. Desperate for immediate sustenance, Esau impulsively offers to trade his valuable birthright for a bowl of the red pottage, a bargain Jacob readily accepts. This exchange highlights Esau's shortsightedness and prioritization of immediate physical needs over spiritual and future blessings, directly leading to the naming of Edom, meaning "red," after the stew that cost him so dearly.
"And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.)" — Esau's desperate plea for "that red, red stew" highlights not just his hunger, but his immediate, almost instinctual focus on the physical. The repetition of "red" emphasizes his exhaustion and his i…
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Last reviewed October 2026